Grounding is one of the beginning points of any magical art. It is a connecting and realigning with the energies of the earth. It focuses your mind and eliminates that anxious, over-thinking, distracted state of mind. In our world of electronic screens and high stress, this state is ever present and quite a deterrent to a focused magical ability.

The modern world does not do anything for our ability to remain grounded. We routinely live in our heads and, one of the more interesting reasons for this is that we almost never come in contact with the Earth directly. We are separated by the soles of our shoes most of the time. In fact, there is a growing body of evidence that grounding (or earthing) has a profound effect on inflammation, immune response, wound healing and prevention of inflammatory illness and autoimmune disorders.

True grounding, in my opinion would be physically touching the Earth with bare feet or hands. You will get the most bang for your buck grounding in this way. However, you can still affect the body’s energy field with other techniques designed to reconnect you with the Earth. Here is my list of grounding techniques that I like with some helpful videos:

Standing or walking on the Earth barefoot Example: Walking on the beach or walking on dirt, grass or stone.

Doing a meditation where roots grow from your body into the Earth: Here is one to try. Her voice makes you feel like jelly, so don’t listen while driving!

Using the back of a spoon on the bottom of your feet: I swear I sleep better when I do this. You can do figure 8’s or just move the spoon around the way you want.

Be aware of your feet on the floor

Shuffling your feet on the floor or ground

Follow your breath as you breathe: Just concentrate on the breath coming in and leaving your body. Here is a guided breathing meditation.

Take a cold or cool shower: Not recommended for people with heart problems or high blood pressure.

Laughter: A good belly laugh is a good way to dispel excess energy.

Exercising

Gardening

Eating

Grounding is one of the most important magical tools in your arsenal. It can thwart anxiety and bring back happiness. Use it liberally!

Sacred Hawthorn used this NightFeed the Fires ~ Start the RiteOpen up the Veil so ThinReap the Wisdom from Within

Kachina

I did this craft last year for Beltane and just wanted to share it because it is simple and quite pretty when complete.

Beltane Candle Craft

Materials:

Novena Candle

Vintage Maypole image

Trim stickers

Small paper flowers or other decorations

Ribbons in several colors (I used ¼ and 1/8 inch)

Dried flowers (I used poppies and violet rose petals from my garden)

Glitter (optional)

Mod Podge

Paint brush

E6000

Mod Podge your image to the candle. Do this by brushing Mod Podge on the back of the image and then positioning it on the candle. Smooth out any air bubbles. When dry, brush more Mod Podge over the image. This will give it a nice finish. I used satin Mod Podge. The image I used for this project is from Etsy and can be found here.

Use border trim stickers to decorate the top and bottom of the candle.

Use Mod Podge or a glue like E6000 to glue paper flowers to the top of the candle or anywhere else you would like.

Tie a group of ribbons around the top. Let them fall down the side like a Maypole.

Decorate the wax around the wick with dried flowers of the season and glitter (optional). I like to light the candle and let the wax melt, then blow out the flame and while the wax is cooling, add the dried flowers.

This is our holy place
As it was for those who came before
A threshold between both Sky and Land
Liminal
A threshold between Land and Sea
And between Life and Death
This is our sacred place

by Brian Terry

If there is a theme present in modern witchcraft, it can be summarized as liminality. The word liminal comes from the Latin word limen, meaning “a threshold.” In modern witchcraft, this applies to the importance of a threshold in rituals, bewitchment, spellwork, and holding sacred space between worlds.

Witches themselves have always been considered liminal figures. In fact, many stories of witches portray them as living on a “threshold” of sorts. In the Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, the so called witch lives on the bank of a pond which frequently floods her small cottage. The transition between land and water is seen as a liminal place. In other stories the witch lives on the outskirts of town, or near the boundary of a wood. This depiction symbolizes the liminal state that a modern witch may enter during trancework, an altered state of consciousness. It also parallels the in-betweeness that is a common theme or practice in modern witchcraft.

Some of these practices may include, initiatory rites, walking through symbolic

doors, invoking spirits to aid the practitioner, cross-roads magic, and walking between worlds. Even the eight Sabbats contain transitory energy as the sun appears to wax and wane in the Earth’s journey through the year, and the door to the Otherworld is left ajar at specific times; Samhain, Beltane, and Midsummer. Other liminal places include, fences or hedges which create a boundary, the ford in a river, entering a fog, the beach where the water meets the shore, dawn or dusk, or even that transitory state between sleeping and waking. In all of these a change occurs and a threshold crossed.

The magic circle can also be considered a liminal space. It serves as a protective space against malevolent spirits, a space where magic can build and be focused, as well as, a space between realms; a space betwixt worlds where there is no time. It also acts as a psychological aid which puts one in the right mindset for the ritual. Whichever way you perceive the magic circle, it is definitely a shift from everyday conscientiousness. This shift can be subtle or a very profound one. In any case, the circle allows for much creativity and freedom from the ordinary within the confines of its magical space.
Liminal spaces and places are borders of the mind and of magical realms. They are neither here nor there but powerful inbetween places betwixt time and space. They are boundaries and edges, and thresholds of magic and enlightenment.

A charm is a common word used to describe a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet. There is also a less common definition which indicates that a charm is controlling or achieving something by magic specifically relating to an object which is “charmed.”

Talismans and Amulets

Talismans and amulets are both types of charms, in that they are both objects that control or achieve something using magic. The difference between a talisman and an amulet is the energy used to charge them. A talisman is charged with energy to attract positive energy to enhance health or positive goals, increase wealth and abundance or any other positive purpose. Some common talismans are objects like crystals or stones or a piece of jewelry worn by the person it is charged for.

Conversely, an amulet has the opposite energy effect. It is charged to deflect negative energy and create a defense around an individual or place thereby sending away danger, misfortune or any other negative event or energy. Some common amulets today are eyes to ward against the “evil eye” and the pentacle which has been used for centuries as a protective charm. Many other objects can function as amulets as well, such as, crystals, coins, or words inscribed on parchment.

Cleansing

Before charging an amulet or talisman you should start with a good cleansing of the object you have chosen for this purpose. Start with your intention of cleansing unwanted or negative energy fixed in your mind or spoken aloud. Some ways to cleanse an object are:

Moon Bath: Leaving the object under the full moon’s light. Retrieve the object just before dawn.

Solar Bath: Leaving the object in the sun all day. Retrieve as the sun is setting.

Fire: Only use for noncombustible objects. Pass object quickly through flame.

Salt: Burying object in salt for a one day minimum.

Earth: Giving object a nice dirt or sand bath for a few days.

Incense: Pass object through incense smoke.

Visualization: Visualize all negativity flowing out of the object like a dark gray mist or smoke. Hold this visualization for 1-3 minutes.

Charging

After cleansing, hold the object in your hands and visualize energy building in you for the intention of the charm, whether it be an amulet which protects the wearer and deflects negativity or a talisman which draws positive energy and positive goals. Visualize the energy streaming into the talisman or amulet as a bright white or gold light. I usually visualize a gold, glittery light flowing into the charm. Alternatively, I have also held the charm to my forehead to charge it. Hold this visualization for a few minutes until you are satisfied that it is fully charged. Your charm is ready to use! If you aren’t going to use it right away, wrap it in a dark cloth and put it away where no one else will touch it. Periodically, repeat these steps of cleansing and charging as unwanted energy will tend to bog down your magic.

I have succeeded in getting this post finished just in time for the waning crescent moon. I should preface this recipe with the fact that I am not a roll out cookie girl. I am more of a drop from a spoon girl, so this is a bit of a stretch. On to some kitchen witchery! First, I would be remiss if I did not talk about the very magical ingredient in these cookies, juniper berries. Juniper berries are not a berry at all, but part of the cone of a female juniper tree. They have a spicy, woodsy taste and is used quite frequently in incense. My favorite personal incense is juniper berry based and it is quite amazing. It is also the main component in gin and gives it a distinctive taste. Juniper has been used magically for protection and purification. Medicinally, the berries have many attributes. They are good for heart health and a natural diuretic. They have been known to cure insomnia and have astringent type properties as well. There is even some suggestion that they may be protective from some types of viruses and cancer. Makes you want to eat some right now doesn’t it? Juniper berries can be found anywhere bulk spices can be purchased.

Juniper Sugar

Grind 2-3 Tablespoons of juniper berries to a fine powder using a coffee bean grinder. Mix this with 1/2 cup of Turbinado sugar. Place in a container and let sit at least overnight so the flavor has time to mingle with the sugar.

You can use any simple three ingredient shortbread for the base of these cookies. I have seen simple recipes only using butter powdered sugar and flour. This is what I used:

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purposed flour

2 teaspoons ground juniper berries

1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons milk or cream

gel food coloring (I used yellow)

Instructions for cookies

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your rack is in the middle position in the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment or other liner.

2. Beat softened butter until fluffy and then add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

4. Shape dough into a ball and place into plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

5. Roll out to about a quarter inch using powdered sugar to decrease stickiness. I added some sugar to the dough as well and kneaded it slightly. Cut into shaped using your favorite cookie cutter dipped in flour or powdered sugar. I just bought this nice crescent moon that I wanted to try out.

6. Place on baking sheet and place back in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so your cookies will hold their shape when baked.

7. Bake for about 15 minutes or just until the edges are a golden brown.

This land is my homewhere the naked mountains caressthe skyand the veins of hills run to the sea.This land is my homewhere I’ll live alone untilmy hair grows whiteand my bones grow oldthen I’ll hang my spirit on tree topsto provide a cushion of coolnessfor children who gather roundevening fires.

Spirit of the Land – Makiutii Tongia

My earliest memory of encountering the spirits of the land, genius loci or the pervading spirit of a place, was my childhood adventures in Canyonlands, Utah. Canyonlands is a wild country of sheer sedimentary rock walls, 4-wheel drive roads, and natural arches. On this day, my family was having lunch in a favorite picnic spot, I looked up to see petroglyphs high above us. We had never seen them before and had been there several times. A feeling of a presence surrounded me that day which was mysterious but not altogether unpleasant. In fact, I enjoyed the overall feel of this place so much, that it influenced my choice of anthropology and geology as majors in college many years later. I wanted to study places which had a strong spirit of place. This experience happened many times to me in Canyonlands.

On another visit, my father was reading an old topo map which said, “Thirteen Faces” in small print along the contour lines of a canyon. None of the forest rangers would tell us what it was so it became a mysterious adventure for my family that year. I can remember pushing through thorny brush and close growing trees whose limbs would smack the person behind you if you weren’t careful. It was like the entire place was keeping us from finding it. We finally came to an overhanging rock wall with the painting of ten warriors painted underneath with the faint remnants of three more. We had stumbled upon a sacred space. It was a profound experience with a real feeling of being watched by the spirits of those who walked those desolate landscapes and were depicted on that rock face. Even now I can still connect to that feeling of discovering “thirteen faces” although it has faded somewhat since I was a child.

Thirteen Faces (taken when I was 11 years old)

If there is one take away from my years developing my own practice, it is to start with connecting to the spirits where you live. The spirits who reside in the open air places, and liminal environments right outside your door. If you are lucky enough to visit a place like Canyonlands, Utah, you will definitely feel the energy of the spirits of the land. Connect with these powers of place and the animals and plants who hold that ecosystem together. Many people want to start with communing with the Gods. While this is a great goal, it is easiest to start with your local environment first. A great way to begin is to make an offering to the spirits of the land first thing in the morning. I begin with a simple incense offering out in my garden. I might say a blessing or just offer the incense and take some time outside. The incense turns my garden into a wonderful smelling place and puts me into a mood of veneration.

Another way to connect to the spirits of the land is to sit quietly in a natural environment and connect to the living and non living things that are a part of that spot. We are normally moving through nature but do not commonly reside for any length in nature. Developing the habit of sitting in nature is a good way to receive messages and connect to that environment. It is common that I come away with thoughts about what my plants need as I sit there. Your garden tends to flourish when you pay attention to it this way.

In my own yard, I like to leave a spot which is a bit wild as well. I don’t pull weeds or do any kind of upkeep in that area. While this sounds a bit on the messy side, it is an amazing area that seems to grow strange new plants, as well as, the seedlings from existing plants. This was a common practice in Europe, hundreds of years ago as people set aside a small plot of land dedicated solely to the faery or earth spirits. It was not permitted to be cultivated, weeded or touched in any way. This practice seems to embody the spirit of the land as these untended tracts seem to have a mind of their own. You’ll be surprised by what appears there.

Keep the downy dittany and storms will bring you calm,Fill a vervain pillow for a thought-grieved head;Cherish balm whene’er you can, there’s none too much of balm,And never stop for rosemary, ’twill follow where you tread.Taste the scarlet love-apple, if youth will drive you to,But leave alone the rue—-Fair lass, fine lad,Leave alone the rue!

The Herb of Grace by Elsie Cole

Herb of Grace

Rue (Ruta graveolens) is an herb which has a long association with witches and magical rituals. The Romans called it Ruta which was shortened in English to Rue. Historically, rue is a protection herb and is routinely used in protection magic. Cats find the smell of rue to be offensive, and as such, the idea of rue used to ward off witches was born. It would seem that a talisman using rue may also be a sort of anti-witch charm. There is one charm, rooted in old Italy which may actually be a very magical talisman worn by witches themselves. This is the Cimaruta charm, an Italian folk charm which has changed little through time.

The Cimaruta Charm

The Cimaruta Charm (sprig of rue), also known as the witch’s charm, is typically a silver charm of the rue plant with its lobed leaves attached to specific symbols. This is the typical charm pictured at the right, and can be purchased here. Although there are

various symbols attached to the sprig of rue some of the more common symbols and their meanings are:

Rooster: dispels darkness much like the rooster calls in the dawn

Dagger: related to the arrow of Diana, the queen of witches

Crescent moon: related to the occult and occult forces

Serpent: wisdom

Key: knowledge

Vervain blossom: protection, much like the pentagram, and connection to the faery realm

Other symbols such as the heart, the hand and the horn, as well as cornucopia, and angel can also be found although the flaming heart and angel are probably newer Christian symbols.

The Cimaruta charm was commonly used as a charm to protect babies and was routinely hung on the crib of an infant for protection from envy and the evil eye up until the 19th century. Rue itself is protective so it has been speculated that the symbols on the sprig of rue are either there to increase these protective forces or for some other reason entirely. Raven Grimassi, in his book, The Cimaruta: And Other Magical Charms From Old Italy suggests that his research reveals that the Cimaruta is connected to Diana, the triformis goddess. In this way, the charm represents Hecate (key), Diana (Moon), and Porserpina or Persephone (serpent). He goes on to state that the Cimaruta Charm is not an anti-witch or anti-witchcraft charm at all but a charm worn by witches symbolizing their beliefs. It is a charm which has not changed much through time or become tainted with modern religious symbols for the most part.

I decided to make my own Cimaruta charm out of a sprig of Rue instead of casting it in silver. I used the symbols of rooster, moon, key, dagger, and vervain blossom. These symbols are used in a magical alignment in Raven Grimassi’s book. I attached the symbols with ribbon, added a nice rose for color and did the alignment. This Cimaruta now hangs in my garden.